Latest news with #subsidizedhousing
Washington Post
17-07-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
1.4M of the nation's poorest renters risk losing their homes with Trump's proposed HUD time limit
WOODINVILLE, Wash. — Havalah Hopkins rarely says no to the chain restaurant catering gigs that send her out to Seattle-area events — from church potlucks to office lunches and graduation parties. The delivery fees and tips she earns on top of $18 an hour mean it's better than minimum-wage shift work, even though it's not consistent. It helps her afford the government-subsidized apartment she and her 14-year-old autistic son have lived in for three years, though it's still tough to make ends meet.
CTV News
16-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Quebec to allow roommates in low-income housing
Housing Minister France-Élaine Duranceau at a press conference in Quebec City on 22 May 2024.(Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press) The Quebec government has tabled a draft regulation to allow roommate situations in subsidized low-income housing (HLM). Housing Minister France-Élaine Duranceau made the announcement on Wednesday morning, explaining that the government wants 'more people to have access to low-income housing while ensuring that there are as few under-occupied units as possible.' The draft regulation, published in the Gazette officielle du Québec, would amend the low-rent housing regulation to allow roommate situations. Many have been pushing the government to change its rules on sharing HLMs. Currently, it is only permitted when a household includes a caregiver in housing intended for people aged 65 and over, and in housing intended for people with disabilities or needs that require special facilities. In a news release, the Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ) said permitting shared accommodation in social housing 'will allow for a better match between the composition of households and the types of housing available, while contributing to more efficient management of the housing stock.' According to the SHQ, subsidized programs currently support more than 114,320 low-income households, with rent fixed at 25 per cent of their income. Québec Solidaire co-spokesperson Guillaume Cliche-Rivard has been pressing François Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government on this issue since May. In a press release, he welcomed Duranceau's announcement, noting that 'this change will make several hundred places available in social housing.' 'This is not going to solve the housing crisis, but I am glad that the CAQ has finally agreed to adopt this measure, which is cost-neutral,' he added. He said he hopes the administration will be willing to study and implement other measures to alleviate the affordability crisis, like capping rent increases and ending blind bidding wars. Now that the draft regulation has been pre-published in the Gazette officielle du Québec, it is subject to a 45-day public consultation period before adoption. Provisions for domestic violence, disaster victims The draft also suggests amendments for victims of conjugal violence, like replacing the notion of 'victim of domestic violence' with 'victim of family violence, including domestic violence.' It will allow applicants for low-income housing to use a certificate issued by a centre for victims of crime to find a home. Additionally, the government said it will extend the deadline for priority applications to low-income housing to 30 days following a disaster or having a dwelling declared unfit for habitation. With files from The Canadian Press.
CTV News
31-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Nipissing social services board owed $2.1M in unpaid rent
The District of Nipissing Social Services Board faces over $2 million in unpaid rent from subsidized tenants, a $200,000 increase from 2023. Loading the player instance is taking more time than usual Loading the player instance is taking more time than usual The District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board (DNSSAB) is facing more than $2.1 million in outstanding rent payments from subsidized tenants, with arrears increasing by $200,000 since 2023. 'There's no question in my mind that inflation has played a big part of this, and it's highly difficult for families to keep up with the inflationary costs that are ongoing,' said board chair Mark King, speaking with CTV News on Friday. Mark King Mark King, chair of the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board, speaks with CTV News about the region's subsidized housing units rental arrears on May 30, 2025. (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario) He is attributing the rise to inflationary pressures, noting that even below-market rents are becoming unaffordable for those on fixed incomes. 'People, especially those in geared-to-income housing, are under pressure because of the inflationary process we've gone through in the last year or year-and-a-half. This has placed huge pressure on people being able to pay for their normal living costs,' King said during Wednesday's board meeting. The Nipissing District Housing Authority oversees 896 subsidized and affordable units. King acknowledged that while a collection process will be pursued, the board's auditor, Dean Decaire of BDO Canada, warned that some older debts may need to be written off. District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board An undate photo of a sign depicting the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board's name and logo. (File photo/CTV News Northern Ontario) The exact amount to be written off remains undetermined as of this publication. Tracy Bethune, the authority's tenant services manager, said staff are grappling with more 'complex tenancies,' as tenants increasingly enter subsidized housing without adequate supports. During the meeting, she cited staff turnover, delays for hearings with the Landlord and Tenant Board, and non-payment as contributing factors to the growing arrears. With files from journalist Eric Taschner
